Choices
by Twiggytwig
Summary: Rin has adjusted to her life without Sesshomaru. Finally, Rin lives the life that she feels she was meant to. When things begin to resurface, she realizes that she can't escape her past and is forced to make a choice: To stay or to return.
1. Now

**_You may want to read my first Rin/Sesshomaru fanfiction, How Things Are Now_, _before you begin this. There will be references to the events that occurred in that story._ **

"Rin, will you please help us catch some fish?" A little girl asked hopefully. I laughed and patted her on her small head.

"Of course." The only thing that I did in the village was help the children, the ill, and the elderly. The villagers may have questioned my origin and purpose before, but things have changed. I am now a part of their lives and I am happy to do whatever is needed. Many of the older women look at me strange, wondering why I am not starting a family of my own. They wonder why I am so focused on the other people of the village and not myself. I just smile and shake my head when they ask me these silly things. There is no reason for me to share things that happened in the past.

I do not think of him much anymore. I wish that I could say that I have forgiven him, but I cannot. I blame him for setting me back so far in my life. I don't understand what some of the other humans do and why they do it. I can't help but act like a savage animal at times. I also fear that what he did to me will cause me to never feel love again. That would be the most terrifying and upsetting thing possible. I always hoped that I would be taken away by a handsome prince and have a big, beautiful family. I now see the truth behind things.

I am happy here, though. I enjoy standing in the river and helping the children catch fish. I always liked the way that their faces lit up when they wrapped their tiny fingers around the slippery fish, laughing as the fish jump out of their grip. This must have been the way that he saw me, as an innocent child.

"Damn." I muttered out of anger. I quickly shut my mouth as I realized that I was around children. It angered me when thoughts like that occasionally drifted into my conscience. I have not seen him for a year, yet his past actions still cause me frustration. I sighed as a breeze caused leaves to fall into the river.

"Rin, what are you doing?" Jun asked from the other side of the riverbank. "You aren't going to get a husband acting like a little boy." She gave me a wide grin and tested the water with her foot, only to flinch when the cool river made contact with her skin.

"Afraid of being so savage?" I asked while splashing her. She groaned loudly and crossed her arms. Jun was always trying to be a proper woman. She had high hopes of catching the perfect husband and starting a perfect family. How we became such close friends even baffles me.

We met when I began to care for her sickly little brother a year ago. She was always worried and watched my every move, always giving unwanted criticism when it came to my care-taking skills. When her brother finally began to recover, Jun relaxed a little more. I learned that she enjoyed talking often and for lengthy amounts of time. I probably liked her so much because she reminded me of myself before I moved to the village. Now, I just enjoyed listening. She shared her dreams with me and occasionally asked me about my own. I always told her that I liked to focus on the present, not the future. I truly had no plans for the future. I just expected to live my life in this village, helping those who were in need. Jun then made it her personal quest to get me started on the road to what she considered a glorious life. I cannot help but laugh at the ridiculous things she says and the way she responds to my supposedly "uncivilized" ways. As annoying as she may be, she is the only person that I actually speak to in the village that I feel comfortable with. I could never talk to her about my past though, it just wouldn't feel right.

"Do not splash me! Rin, you have to come with me right now!" Jun had that look in her eyes, the look that meant she had an insane plan that she needed help carrying out.

"Why?" I knew there was no reason to argue or fight it.

"You don't understand, this is very important!" Jun began to hop from foot to foot.

"Do you need relieve yourself?" I asked jokingly. I loved when Jun got upset, it was a hilarious sight.

"Rin, come on right now!" Jun jumped into the water and dragged me by the arm with her towards the village. My stomach began to hurt from the lack of breath left in me from all of the laughter.

"W-where are we going?" I ripped my arm from her tight grasp and wiped tears from my eyes. I let in a large breath and I was stopped by Jun's arm.

"Look over there." She motioned to a young man unpacking his things. He looked like a traveler and had a horse with him that carried many bags and items. He was tan, probably from days riding in the hot sun. His clothing was fairly nice but stained with sweat and dirt.

"Why are you showing me this?" I looked at my friend knowing exactly the reason. Jun was already infatuated with the strange man.

"He is the one!" She turned to me and hugged me tightly. "I have to go make a good impression on him!"

"I feel as if you jump into these things too quickly." Whenever a merchant or monk visited the village, she was always after their apprentice or handsome son.

"A woman knows her husband when she sees him, Rin." Jun's whole demeanor changed as she left our hiding spot from behind a small home. Her walk was a graceful one and her chin was held up high. A glimpse of the real Jun was revealed when she glared at me for not following her. I slowly left the shadows and walked behind her. The young man was still unpacking his things when Jun tapped him on the shoulder, frightening him.

"Oh, hello!" He laughed. Jun's jaw tightened at the awkward introduction. She always believed that first impressions were important and when she felt that she failed, she would lose all control. I only prayed that she would keep calm.

"What brings you to our lovely village?" Jun flashed a smile.

"Well, I'm just looking to trade. I was also hoping that I could rely on some of the villagers' hospitality since I've been on such a long, exhausting journey. I'm merely stopping here to catch up on my rest."

"Oh, well I'm sure I can set up a place for you to stay!" She found her opportunity.

"That would be greatly appreciated, thank you. I should know the name of my beautiful savior." He grinned at her. I felt like an awkward bystander to the soon-to-be couple's first outing.

"My name is Jun. What might yours be?" Jun was nervously smoothing out her kimono. Her face was red and she was biting her pink lips.

"Satoshi. Who is your friend?" The attention then shifted in my direction.

"I'm Rin. I hope you enjoy our village while you stay here." I offered a weak smile in return to the others two's enthusiasm.

"Let me show you to my home, Satoshi!" Jun grabbed his hand in an aggressive manner and quickly dragged him away.

I walked to my own house, which was small and cramped. I shooed a few children away and settled down to take an afternoon rest. I hoped that Jun finally found her prince, that she succeeded in the very thing that I failed.

"Hello?" A voice asked from the darkness. I quickly got up and tried to see the figure that stood in the doorway.

"Who is it?" I asked with the feeling of confusion pounding in my head.

"Satoshi. I don't mean to alarm you or bother you but Jun has fallen and injured her ankle. She told me that you were the best person to fetch."

"Is she all right?"

"Yes, she just needs her ankle to be wrapped up." We both made our way out and walked in silence for a few minutes before Satoshi cleared his throat.

"Jun has told me a lot about you in such a short amount of time." He chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, she is good at fitting someone's whole life into a couple of minutes."

"Only she didn't share your whole life. There a lot of things about you that she doesn't know. At least that is what she says." He looked over at me, expecting an explanation. I opened my mouth to speak but before I could dismiss the conversation, Jun hopped over to me.

"I am such a fool. I tripped over my own feet. Please, Satoshi wait here while Rin wraps my ankle." She leaned on me as we walked into her home. As soon as the man was out of earshot, Jun's charm left her completely. She began to tear up and throw a small fit as I sat her down on the floor.

"What's wrong?" I asked, knowing that I would get a lengthy story in return. I searched for cloth to wrap around her foot as the tale began.

"I ruined it! No man wants a clumsy wife or an absolute fool. Satoshi was perfect and I had to throw it all away by falling flat on my face. Rin, am I destined to be alone?"

"Hush. You are getting upset over nothing. Every person falls, there is no stopping that. You are beautiful and if Satoshi chooses to ignore you for the rest of his stay here, then he is the fool." I began to wrap her ankle and she tapped her fingers nervously on the floor.

"You send him away. I can't look at him anymore." Jun turned away dramatically.

"You promised him that you would house him. I have no room for another person." I finished up the wrapping and began to get up. "Besides, men love a woman in need. It shows how adorably helpless you are." Jun started to argue when I left the room. Satoshi was still standing in his place, quietly.

"She is all done." I smiled and began to return to my home when I felt his hand on my shoulder. I tensed and turned around. "What?" I did not like being touched by men I barely knew.

"I didn't mean to anger you. I was just wondering if you could keep me company."

"Jun is waiting for you and ready to talk all night long."

"I heard everything you two said back there, I would appreciate it if I wasn't being promised to a girl I hardly know. I knew she liked me but I didn't think that she expected me to be her husband. That can make a man feel a bit uncomfortable." I felt a blush creep on to my face and sweat begin to form on my skin. I did not like being caught in situations like this. What was I to say?

"I-I'm sorry." I bit my lip.

"I could get past this if you keep me company for a while. I do not wish to go back to your charming yet aggressive friend right now and I have trouble sleeping anyways." He looked at me hopefully and I sighed. He would expect my life story, all of my history, and then some more. I wasn't really looking forward to skirting around all of the uncomfortable events that happened.

"I suppose I could talk to you for a few minutes." I reluctantly agreed and he clearly felt accomplished.

"So, you just stumbled in here somehow? Jun told me that you just came out of the woods while crying. It was the weirdest thing she had ever seen."

We were lying on the grass, trying our best to whisper. Satoshi turned out to be an interesting person after all. We had been talking for more than a few minutes, possibly hours. I found myself laughing often but when he began to ask questions, the giggling often ceased.

"Oh, well thank you. I was just a traveler like you and I was almost attacked by a demon. I ran towards the village for safety, that's all." I applauded myself for making up a false story with such ease.

"That sounds frightening! I have only met minor demons on my many travels, never anything truly frightening. Do you have any battle scars from this encounter?"

"I suppose I could show you." I lowered my kimono a bit to reveal a scar on my shoulder that was given to me by that serpent demon years ago. There were more in less respectable places that I preferred not to show. Jun would have died knowing that I exposed my shoulder to a stranger.

"That seems like quite the nasty attack. I'm thankful that you recovered."

"Why?"

"Because if you didn't, I wouldn't be able to be here with you." I could see him smiling through the darkness. Was he trying to compliment me or worse, trying to woo me? That left a horrible feeling in my stomach.

"That is nice. I really do think I should be going to bed now. There are many people who need tending to in the village." I got up quickly to leave.

"Please, I still know little about you. I want to know more." He protested and got up to walk next to me.

"I would really appreciate it if you left me alone. I do not want to…" How could I word this in a pleasant manner?

"Do not want to get to know a handsome traveler? Is it because I will leave you in a few days? I know that it can be hard to deal with." He laughed and I almost laughed along with him. He did not know how to take things seriously which I enjoyed but also found quite annoying.

"No, I just don't want to-" I was cut off by a calloused hand cupping my face. I stiffened immediately and my eyes went wide. I did not like this.

"Rin, I do not think that you mean what you are saying." He lowered his face towards mine and without a second though I kicked him in the stomach. He went down with a grunt and he clutched his stomach in shock more than pain.

"I am so sorry!" I nervously fiddled with my hands and bit my lip. Satoshi took in several large breaths and slowly got up.

"That was unexpected." He coughed out. I dug my nails into my palm and felt embarrassment wash over me.

"I-I really must be going." I ran off to my home with my cheeks burning and already having the feeling of deep regret.

_**And it begins. **_

_**I shall update my other stories as well, so no worries. Just needed to jump start this. **_

_**I hope you all are excited for this sequel!**_


	2. Goodbyes

The morning sun heated my face and I opened my eyes. It had been a long night, a night that involved very little sleep.

"Rin!" Jun shouted. I thought of her as a close friend but her voice often gave me a lasting headache. She hobbled in and leaned against a wall. "What happened last night? Satoshi said that you didn't like him very much. How could you be so mean? A man won't like me if my friends abuse him like you did." I couldn't help but roll my eyes, my incredibly dry and sleep-deprived eyes. Just last night she was whining about how Satoshi would never love her and now she was acting as if he had already proposed and it would be my fault if they never wed.

"Jun, you know nothing of what happened last night." I yawned and began to leave.

"Then enlighten me." She called out as she attempted to match my pace with her sprained ankle.

"You would not be too pleased if I told you." I greeted children as I walked by. Seeing them smile warmed my heart.

"I am already unpleased; you might as well try to explain yourself." The warmth quickly disappeared. I felt as if I was being nagged by the parents I never really had. It was best to put a stop to this.

"Satoshi may have made advances towards me. He nearly kissed me." I waited for her shocked reaction, her mouth to start moving at an alarming rate but she was simply silent. I turned to look at her and, to my surprise, a wide smile graced her face.

"Are you serious? Rin, this is wonderful!" Jun limped towards me and hugged me with such strength that I could not breathe.

"But he is your future husband." I actually wished that she had been angry with my confession, rather than jumping with joy. She would only push things further with Satoshi and try marry me off like some clueless father.

"There are many other men out there for me, Rin. There are very few who even give you a second glance and to have one kiss you, well I can't just let him get away!" I wondered if she ever heard the things she said. They could be quite offensive. I huffed and pried her off of me.

"You know I have no desire to marry anyone. I am happy living the way I am." I could never explain to her why this had to be the way I lived.

"You aren't happy Rin. I can tell. The way you look off into the distance and fall silent, what are you thinking about? Happy people's smiles don't fall so fast." Her words stung. It was all surprisingly true. I never thought she could be so insightful or notice anything like that.

"And you think that running off with some stranger would make me happy?"

"I don't know. I just know that you aren't here."

"I have to go care for the children."

"Ah, Rin. I thought that our last meeting would be our final one." Satoshi sat on a cart with the reigns of his horse in his hands. He must have been ready to depart; he had been in the village for a few days now and probably finished whatever task he meant to do in it. I had done everything in my power to avoid him.

"That would not have left pleasant memories." I had planned on apologizing but my mind went blank at that moment. Satoshi got off of his cart and walked over to me with a strange smile on his face.

"This was all my fault. I should have known you did not share my feelings." It was clear now that the expression on his face was that of embarrassment.

"No, you must have been tired from your journey and not thinking straight. I know the feeling of exhaustion from travelling too." I had to make an excuse for him; he looked so ashamed and guilty.

"This is true. Oh yes, and speaking of your travels, before I leave I would like to fully know about them. Our conversation was cut short that night and I have heard many rumors from the villagers. In the brief time I have been here, there have been plenty of stories about you." He laughed and motioned me to follow him.

"What do you mean?" I had never been told of any rumors about my sudden appearance in the village. I was sure there were a few, but I thought I had quickly told people a believable lie. Jun would have told me about any other gossip. She knew it all because she was typically the one who started it.

"You haven't heard them? Why, you've been in the village longer than I and you know less about what the villagers talk about!" He knew he had the upper hand in our conversation and obviously was going to use it to his advantage. He would drag this conversation on as long as he could and try to make himself seem as clever as possible. He might even make up some lie about defending me while hearing the rumors. Human men were so predictable at times.

"Please, tell me what you heard." Why was I even entertaining this? Maybe human females are just as silly.

"Well, my favorite little story is the one that has to do with you being the child of a demon." Why would the villagers think that? I don't know what happened to Sesshomaru after I walked away from him, but I'm almost certain he had no contact with any of the people. Could people smell demon on someone? No, that's ridiculous.

"What gave them that idea?" I tried to sound as uninterested as possible. As much as I wanted to know the reason behind their suspicions, I did not want Satoshi thinking I had changed my feelings for him.

"Well, even though you came from the woods, your hair and appearance were still beautiful. Your kimono was a fine, expensive silk and many villagers doubt that a noble man would send off his daughter."

"My kimono was a gift from people in another village and I cared about my appearance. I do not think that any of those things make me the daughter of a demon." Now I really was losing interest.

"Ah, but the strangest part of the story has to do with a large streak of light flying across the sky right after you made your presence known. It was an eerie light that they suspect could only be made by some sort of demon. A demon that flew away from the very spot you must have emerged from! Isn't that odd?" Satoshi waited for some sort of response. He was clearly curious about it all as well; did he really believe I was part demon now?

"Rumors like this happen all the time. I don't think anyone takes them too seriously. What a ridiculous accusation that I am half demon. I look nothing like any demon." I remembered all of the hanyous I had come across. Inuyasha was one that I could never forget with his dog ears and long, white hair.

"Maybe this story is affecting you more than you think. As I talked with the women of the village, they claim that they won't let their children around you in fear that you'll devour their souls. The men say they are afraid to go near you because you would drink their blood. Whenever someone falls ill, did you know that you are to blame?" He was lying. He had to be. I cared for the sick, the people's children, and though it was true that no man had ever shown interest in me, that wasn't because of their fears.

"Satoshi, I know the villagers better than you do. They trust me with the weak and the vulnerable; I act as a caregiver here. I don't think that they would do so if they thought I was going to curse them or something." I started to leave, tired of this nonsense.

"Is that the truth? Think hard about it, Rin. Do these people even like you? I am not one to make such a lovely woman worry, but I have to say that I don't think these people want you around."

"As much as I enjoy talking about people hating me, I must go help my supposed enemies. Goodbye, Satoshi. I hope your trip to the next village proves more successful."

"More successful?"

"Yes, I hope that you can get some silly girl to fall in love with your lies and run off with you. Clearly you failed here." I walked away smiling. This wasn't the first time I walked away from someone who tried to make a fool out of me.

As I approached the center of the village, I watched the people carry on with their days. They could not hate me, they appreciate me for the help I have given them.

"Rin! Can you play with us today?" A small girl asked excitedly as she tugged on my kimono.

"Yes, of course!" I grabbed her hand and she began to weave us through the crowd of people.

"Kaori, what do you think you're doing?" A woman yelled. She yanked the child away from me and picked her up.

"I want to play with Rin!" The child began to cry and attempted to squirm out of the woman's arms.

"No." She glanced at me and quickly turned away to leave.

Her look shocked me. It was a mix of fear and anger she held in her eyes as she gripped her daughter closer to her. She looked at me with utter disgust, as if I was doing something awful. Did she not recognize me? I had played with her children many times before. Did I just never notice something like this? She wouldn't think of me as a demon, would she? Satoshi's words were poisoning my thoughts.

I quickly walked to Jun's house. I needed to figure out what the truth was.

"Jun!"

"Rin? Why are you still here and not riding off with Satoshi?" Jun sat on her floor, fiddling with her bandages.

"I must ask you something. It is very important that you answer honestly." I sat down next to her, feeling anxious and uncertain.

"Sure. Please, ask me whatever you want."

"What do the people say about me?"

Jun was thrown off-guard but she quickly regained her calm demeanor, "What do you mean?"

"Are they afraid of me? Do they hate me?"

She looked increasingly uncomfortable and played with her bandages more. A silence settled over the room before she sighed deeply and made eye contact with me again.

"Rin, it is not so simple as being afraid of you or hating you."

"What?"

"Where did these questions come from?"

"Satoshi. He said there were rumors about my origins. I did not believe him until Kaori's mother... She snatched her away from me. I know that cannot be why, right?" I was desperate to know. The more I thought about it, the more I remembered instances like Kaori's. I always thought it was because the children needed to do work or were in trouble. I never thought it could be because they thought I was a demon.

"Rin, the villagers are very cautious. They need to be to keep everyone safe. We know what you are and not everyone can accept it. Even I was afraid when you cared for my ill brother, but then I got to know you and I realized that there was nothing to worry about!"

"What I am? What do you mean, Jun?" I was in absolute shock.

"Rin, we know you are a hanyou. That beam of light that day, we know it was your father. You never explained it but we are not so dumb. We knew it the first day you appeared in the village. We were afraid for a while, but then you began helping us with your healing powers. We knew you could not be so bad. Still, there are a few people who are frightened. It takes time."

"Jun, what are you saying? Do you really believe all of that nonsense? I am a human like you!" I grabbed her hand, determined to make her understand me better.

"If that is true, then what was that light? It was too much of a coincidence for you not to be involved; I know it." Jun snatched her hand away. She looked suspicious and betrayed, as if I was blatantly lying to her.

"That is a long story that I do not wish to get into. You just need to believe me." I couldn't explain it to her. It was too complicated and unbelievable. Who would think I was telling the truth if I claimed a demon lord raised a human girl?

"If you are truly my friend, you will tell me the truth. I do not care if you are a hanyou, but I do care if you are a liar."

"Why would I lie?"

"I don't know. You have lied from the very beginning. I never asked you about being a hanyou because you always told me that fake story of how you came to the village. You didn't want people to know the truth, so I respected your decision."

"Jun, please, you just need to trust me." I searched her face for a sign that she had faith in me. I found none.

"I want to... but I know what happened."

"Jun, no you don't! I am the only one who knows! You are making assumptions about me and you don't even know who I really am. I can't believe you would fall for such crazy lies. Are you all so foolish?"

"I need to rest. Please, leave." Jun glared at me and grabbed her sheets.

I hesitated, but stood up and left her home, baffled by what had just occurred. All the time I had spent with her and she assumed I was a demon? And now she is angry because I denied the ridiculous rumor? The village must think the same if Jun believes it to be true.

I have no place here; they think I am a monster.

I felt the tears begin to form in my eyes as I slowly walked back into the crowd of people. I tried to look at them as they passed me, but they all seemed to avoid my gaze. Was this happening for the past year? Am I really so blind?

I felt the stream of tears grow and I started to run to my home. I needed to leave here, if only for a small amount of time. I grabbed what little clothes and belongings I had and held them in a messy bundle. How could I leave?

Satoshi.

I ran out of my home, clutching my bundle of belongings and hoping that Satoshi had not left. It would be an awkward and strange request, but I had no other choice besides walking to another village. Even after our tense goodbye, I knew that he would not turn me away.

I bumped into villagers and pushed passed them as I searched for Satoshi. I heard grunts and insults as I speeded past everyone to find the traveler. Finally, I saw him. He was sitting on his cart talking with two young women, clearly attempting to charm them. Did I really want to travel with him?

I really had no choice.

"Satoshi!" I yelled. I was out of breath when I finally reached him. The two women glared at me, irritated that I was ruining their conversation.

"Rin, how wonderful to see you again." Satoshi offered a small smile but tried to return his attention back to the two ladies.

"I need to ask for a favor."

"You need a favor? I am surprised that I am the one you turn to when you seem to dislike me so much." His words were sharp and he was clearly agitated by my interruptions.

"I need someone to take me to the next village. I will somehow make it up to you but I do not have the money or goods to pay you right now. I will leave you after you reach whatever village you have business in, just please take me." I was prepared to get on my knees and beg him to take me away from the village if it was necessary.

"It's about time you leave this village." One of the women muttered. The other began giggling wildly at her friend's remark.

"Shut up!" I threw my belongings down and shoved one of the women down to the ground. "I was so dumb to think I belonged with you bastards!" The tears formed again and I looked back up to Satoshi, desperate.

"Rin, please, calm down." Satoshi got off of his cart.

"You were right, you were right! I was stupid and blind to it all! I am always so stupid!"

"That cannot be true. Please, stop this crying." Satoshi wrapped his arms around me and continued to comfort me.

"Please, just take me away!"

"Okay, okay. I will."

He threw my belongings on to the cart haphazardly and bid the two, frightened women goodbye. They attempted to talk him out of helping me, but Satoshi simply shooed them away. He helped me on to the cart and his horse began to trot down the dirt road.

I was tempted to look back at the village but I knew looking back on it would cause further pain.

"So, Rin, we have quite the journey ahead of us. Would you mind if we finally discussed your life?"

**So, this story has been ignored for quite some time. I'm going to start working on it again now that break has happened and my other story is moving along smoothly. **

**Do not worry, Sesshomaru will be appearing soon. Patience my dears, patience. **

**This has ****just been a long introduction. We'll get to the good bits later.**

**Well, I would write more but it is quite late. Tomorrow is when we'll dive deeper into the story.**


	3. Life

"Be careful on your trip! And don't be away for too long, all right?" I gave him a tight hug. It was always difficult to watch him leave.

"I will be back within a few days. I will come home with even more wonderful gifts for you." Satoshi kissed me on the forehead and got on to his cart. He waved one last goodbye to me before he directed his horse to start their journey.

He refused to let me travel with him because he feared for my safety. The days and weeks when he was not by my side were the most difficult.

Our relationship was a simple one. It took him many months to finally win me over. I was cautious and weary of falling for someone again, but Satoshi was not cold-hearted like Sesshomaru. He was warm and accepting. He enjoyed my endless babbling and he would join me in my childish antics. He was a friend to me. I now realize that a friend is something I cherish more than a solemn protector.

"Rin, dear, could you do me a favor?" An elderly woman greeted me with a smile.

"Of course! What do you need?"

"Two things, dear. One, I need you to finally marry that boy!" She poked me in the arm and had a stern look on her wrinkled face.

"I do not think that we are ready for that." I laughed.

"When will you be ready? When you're as old as me?"

"I don't know. He travels a great deal and we only met a year ago. It's too soon, I think."

"Well it wasn't too soon for you and him to keep the whole village up last night!"

I felt my cheeks grow warm and my stomach drop.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you know. I woman should be married before she does such things; you are no exception!" She gave me another sharp poke and eyed me.

"What was the other favor you needed?" Anything to get off of this subject. It was embarrassing enough to know that others knew about our actions; I did not need to be lectured on the issue.

"Ah, yes. I need you to go and wash some cloth for me, dear. My old body just isn't able to bend down and wash them by the river." The way she switched attitudes so quickly amazed me. One minute she would be so devious but in the next minute, she would be an innocent old woman. It was quite impressive.

"It's no problem." She handed me a basket of clothing and gave me another smile before heading back to her home.

The river was not very close to the village. Usually, all of the village women would choose a day to wash clothing and would come down together in a group. They would bring the children to play in the water and everyone enjoyed themselves. It was scarier without the many women to keep you company. The leaves of the trees rustled against one another as a gentle wind blew through the area. The breeze tickled my face, making me feel less alone than before.

When I reached the river, I took in the absolute beauty of my surroundings. The grass was green, the cicadas called to one another in the trees, and the small body of water looked absolutely refreshing. I sighed happily as I dropped the basket by the bank and began to wash the clothes. I caught myself humming an old childhood song that I learned while traveling with Sesshomaru. The song always brought back memories of sitting under trees or picking flowers, waiting for him to return from his journeys. It reminded me of how wonderful things were before I began to have feelings for him.

I washed the clothes clean of any stains that were present. The more I thought about Sesshomaru, the harder I scrubbed. It was less painful thinking about his rejection now that Satoshi was with me, but it still was frustrating. I would make a great mate for anyone, even a high and mighty demon lord, so why was the notion of loving me so outrageous to him?

I groaned and plunged a piece of clothing deep under the water. I needed to stop thinking about these things. Maybe it would be best if Satoshi and I married; it would allow me to focus on the present more than the past.

Loud splashes startled me. I looked up from my clothes and saw a large, black horse walking its way down the river. It had a man with a rugged appearance riding it.

I began to grab the clothes from the river and pile them back into the basket. The man looked like he was a bandit of some sort and I was completely alone in this area. I had nothing of value to give him and that was something that could get someone killed.

"Hello there, young maiden!" His booming voice called out to me. I shoved the clothes in the basket quicker; this was becoming a bad situation alarmingly fast. I grabbed the basket and ran.

He prompted his horse to speed up and I heard the water splash as the horse jumped on to land. I tried to run faster, dropping clothes in the process, but the man easily caught up to me and cut me off.

"Now why are you running from me? That really isn't a nice thing to do." He tried to reach out to me from his horse but I backed away.

"Get away from me." I tried to stare him down but he only laughed at my attempts at intimidation. He jumped off of his horse and towered over me.

"I'll do whatever I want to, you fool!" He grabbed my arm roughly and my sleeve tore as I fought against him. I delivered a hard kick to his groin and he dropped to the ground. I took off running, leaving the basket of clothes. I felt my lungs tighten as I continued to run well past my limit.

I heard the shouts of men far behind me; his band must have caught up to him. I could easily escape one men, but I was practically defenseless against an entire group.

I tried to force my legs to run faster but my muscles began to burn and my head pounded as I struggled to breathe. Suddenly, I tripped and crashed to the ground. I felt waves of unbearable pain pulse from my right ankle. I attempted to pull myself up by gripping a nearby tree but my body screamed in protest. I needed to find somewhere to hide myself since my body refused to continue the run to the village.

The sound of horses galloping became louder as the bandits approached. I crawled into a large bush and held my breath. If they found me, I would most certainly be killed.

"Where did the little bitch go?" The original bandit yelled.

"She's gone. She probably ran down to the village further down this path. We'll get her there." Another man responded.

The other men in the band agreed and they all began to trot away on their large horses.

I felt a pit in my stomach. They were all heading to the village and there was nothing I could do to warn the people who I considered friends. And when would I be able to leave this bush? Would I be here until night fall, hoping that the bandits were done robbing my fellow villagers? I tried to move my ankle and winced in pain. It was definitely twisted, a bone could have even been broken.

The barking of a dog directly in front of the bush caused me to freeze. I made eye contact with the hunting dog that continued to call out to its owners.

"What's that damn dog barking at?" A man asked.

"Well, let's see." The original bandit jumped off his horse and walked towards the bush where I was hiding in. I grabbed a sharp stick that lay in the underbrush as my heart beat furiously.

The limbs of the bush parted and I immediately stabbed him with the stick. The man let out a scream as the sharp end of the stick lay stuck in his left shoulder. I tried to get up and run, ignoring the immense pain sprouting from my ankle, but I was grabbed almost instantly by two other men. I struggled against the grip but was hit in the face by one and had the air knocked out of my lungs by the other.

Their leader walked over to me, ripping the stick out of his shoulder.

"You are a feisty little whore!" He half chuckled. He yanked me away from the other two and took out his sword. He held it against my throat.

I felt tears roll down my cheeks and I cursed myself for letting them see me cry. I couldn't help it the tears falling down my face. They were either going to kill me or kidnap me. I would never see Satoshi again and I would die alone at the hands of these disgusting animals. I started to sob loudly as I thought of dying like this. I called out to Satoshi, knowing he wouldn't hear me. I needed to see him before I was taken away. I needed to feel his arms around me before my throat was slit. I than cried louder, realizing that wasn't a possibility.

"Stop crying! You're too pretty to be crying like that!" The man laughed as he ripped my kimono, revealing the wrapping that covered my chest. I tried to push him away but I felt the coolness of his sword make contact with the skin on my neck and I froze. "We worked hard enough to get you, we might as well make use of such a pretty face, right?"

He reached for the wrapping on my chest and I attempted to let out a scream when a flash of white light engulfed the area. I was blinded but heard the screams of the bandits all around me as I was released from their leader's grip. I felt warm liquid splatter on to me and I shrieked. The sound of limbs being torn off and flesh being sliced came from every direction. I fell to the ground and covered my head in fear. A final plea for mercy and then a sudden sickening ripping sound occurred before the usual sounds of the forest filled the air.

The light began to fade. I looked around me to see the ground, and my clothing, covered in blood. I clenched the grass beneath me and watched my sweat and tears mix with the blood on me. I didn't know if I was the next to be slaughtered by this beast.

"P-please don't hurt m-me!" I sputtered out before succumbing to my sobs once more.

"Rin."

My choked on a sob and froze. I recognized the voice as soon as I heard it.

I looked up to meet the Sesshomaru's gaze.

**As promised it is Sesshomaru. Sorry for not updating often, I've just had a busy month. My other story will be updated tomorrow (and possibly this one too...). Hopefully you all are still interested in it all. Things are going to get good, so stick with me here. As always, reviewing is an amazing thing that helps me know what you think about the chapter you just read.  
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**I will be going to bed because I think I see the sun coming up. **

**Enjoy.  
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